U.S. patent number 8,942,911 [Application Number 12/764,580] was granted by the patent office on 2015-01-27 for system and method for detecting a stuck vehicle accelerator and remedial control.
This patent grant is currently assigned to GM Global Technology Operations LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is J. Oscar Aparicio, Jr., Paul A. Bauerle, Daniel G. Bolstrum, William E. Debs, Joseph E. Ploucha, Brian S. Schang. Invention is credited to J. Oscar Aparicio, Jr., Paul A. Bauerle, Daniel G. Bolstrum, William E. Debs, Joseph E. Ploucha, Brian S. Schang.
United States Patent |
8,942,911 |
Debs , et al. |
January 27, 2015 |
System and method for detecting a stuck vehicle accelerator and
remedial control
Abstract
A control system for a vehicle includes an error detection
module and a remedial control module. The error detection module
detects whether an accelerator of the vehicle is stuck is based on
vehicle speed, a position of the accelerator, and one of a pressure
applied to a brake of the vehicle and a status of a parking brake
of the vehicle. The remedial control module, when the accelerator
is stuck, at least one of resets the position of the accelerator
and decreases torque output of a powertrain system.
Inventors: |
Debs; William E. (Novi, MI),
Schang; Brian S. (Wixom, MI), Aparicio, Jr.; J. Oscar
(Milford, MI), Bauerle; Paul A. (Fenton, MI), Ploucha;
Joseph E. (Commerce Township, MI), Bolstrum; Daniel G.
(West Bloomfield, MI) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Debs; William E.
Schang; Brian S.
Aparicio, Jr.; J. Oscar
Bauerle; Paul A.
Ploucha; Joseph E.
Bolstrum; Daniel G. |
Novi
Wixom
Milford
Fenton
Commerce Township
West Bloomfield |
MI
MI
MI
MI
MI
MI |
US
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
GM Global Technology Operations
LLC (N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
44816510 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/764,580 |
Filed: |
April 21, 2010 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20110264354 A1 |
Oct 27, 2011 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
701/107; 701/114;
123/198D; 123/682; 123/590; 701/110 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02D
11/107 (20130101); B60K 26/02 (20130101); F02D
11/105 (20130101); B60W 10/06 (20130101); B60W
2510/186 (20130101); F02D 2011/108 (20130101); F02D
2250/26 (20130101); B60W 2540/12 (20130101); F02D
11/106 (20130101); B60W 2540/10 (20130101); B60W
2520/10 (20130101); F02D 2200/501 (20130101); F02D
2200/602 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
7/00 (20060101); G06F 17/00 (20060101); F02B
77/08 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;701/103,110,107,114
;123/396,399,198D,492,682,687,688,690 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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3715959 |
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Nov 1988 |
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DE |
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4017045 |
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Nov 1991 |
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DE |
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19920851 |
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May 2004 |
|
DE |
|
102005001550 |
|
Jul 2006 |
|
DE |
|
0230722 |
|
Nov 1986 |
|
EP |
|
2226658 |
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Jul 1990 |
|
GB |
|
2005034865 |
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Apr 2005 |
|
KR |
|
Other References
Office Action dated Dec. 30, 2011 from the German Patent Office for
German Patent Application No. 10 2011 017 412.5, 6 pages. cited by
applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Gimie; Mahmoud
Assistant Examiner: Hamaoui; David
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A control system for a vehicle, comprising: an error detection
module that detects whether an accelerator of the vehicle is stuck
is based on vehicle speed, a position of the accelerator, and one
of a brake pressure applied by a driver to a brake of the vehicle
and a status of a parking brake of the vehicle; and a remedial
control module that, when the accelerator is stuck, decreases
torque output of a powertrain system: to a torque output greater
than idle operation when a brake pressure applied by the driver is
less than a brake pressure threshold; to idle operation when the
brake pressure applied by the driver is greater than the brake
pressure threshold; and to idle operation when the driver requests
override control of the powertrain system of the vehicle via an
actuator of one of an ignition control module and a shift control
module.
2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the error detection
module detects that the accelerator is stuck when the vehicle speed
is greater than a vehicle speed threshold, the position of the
accelerator is greater than an accelerator position threshold, and
the brake pressure applied by the driver is greater than a second
brake pressure threshold for a predetermined period.
3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the error detection
module detects that the accelerator is stuck when the vehicle speed
is greater than the vehicle speed threshold, the position of the
accelerator is greater than the accelerator position threshold, and
the parking brake is engaged.
4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the ignition control
module includes at least one of push-button ignition, a rotatable
key-in ignition, and an emergency switch.
5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the request for override
operation includes at least one of a single push of the push-button
ignition, a single turn of the rotatable key-in ignition, and
actuating the emergency switch from a first state to a second
state.
6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the shift control module
includes at least one of a park/reverse/neutral/drive/low (PRNDL)
mode selector and a manumatic selector, and wherein the request for
override operation includes at least one of a change of the PRNDL
mode selector and a single tap-up or tap-down of the manumatic
selector.
7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the remedial control
module resets the position of the accelerator when the accelerator
is stuck and the driver requests override operation.
8. The control system of claim 7, wherein resetting the position of
the accelerator includes setting the position of the accelerator to
zero.
9. The control system of claim 7, wherein resetting the position of
the accelerator includes setting a learned idle position of the
accelerator to a current position of the accelerator, and wherein
further displacement of the accelerator results in incremental
torque requests from an idle torque request.
10. The control system of claim 7, wherein resetting the
accelerator position when the accelerator is fully displaced
results in no additional requestable torque via the
accelerator.
11. The control system of claim 9, wherein the learned idle
position of the accelerator may update to the current accelerator
position as the accelerator releases back towards a normal idle
position.
12. A method for controlling a vehicle, comprising: detecting
whether an accelerator of the vehicle is stuck is based on vehicle
speed, a position of the accelerator, and one of a brake pressure
applied by a driver to a brake of the vehicle and a status of a
parking brake of the vehicle; and when the accelerator is stuck,
decreasing torque output of a powertrain system: to a torque output
greater than idle operation when a brake pressure applied by the
driver is less than a brake pressure threshold; to idle operation
when the brake pressure applied by the driver is greater than the
brake pressure threshold; and to idle operation when the driver
requests override control of the powertrain system of the vehicle
via an actuator of one of an ignition control module and a shift
control module.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting that the
accelerator is stuck when the vehicle speed is greater than a
vehicle speed threshold, the position of the accelerator is greater
than an accelerator position threshold, and the brake pressure
applied by the driver is greater than a second brake pressure
threshold for a predetermined period.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting that the
accelerator is stuck when the vehicle speed is greater than the
vehicle speed threshold, the position of the accelerator is greater
than the accelerator position threshold, and the parking brake is
engaged.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the
request for override operation from at least one of push-button
ignition, a rotatable key-in ignition, and an emergency switch of
the ignition control module.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request for override
operation includes at least one of a single push of the push-button
ignition, a single turn of the rotatable key-in ignition, and
actuating the emergency switch from a first state to a second
state.
17. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the
request for override operation from at least one of a
park/reverse/neutral/drive/low (PRNDL) mode selector and a
manumatic selector of the shift control module, wherein the request
for override operation includes at least one of a change of the
PRNDL mode selector and a single tap-up or tap-down of the
manumatic selector.
18. The method of claim 12, further comprising resetting the
position of the accelerator when the accelerator is stuck and the
driver requests override operation.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein resetting the position of the
accelerator includes setting the position of the accelerator to
zero.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein resetting the position of the
accelerator includes setting a learned idle position of the
accelerator to a current position of the accelerator, and wherein
further displacement of the accelerator results in incremental
torque requests from an idle torque request.
21. The method of claim 18, wherein resetting the accelerator
position when the accelerator is fully displaced results in no
additional requestable torque via the accelerator.
22. The method of claim 20, further comprising updating the learned
idle position of the accelerator to the current accelerator
position as the accelerator releases back towards a normal idle
position.
Description
FIELD
The present disclosure relates to vehicle control systems, and more
particularly to a system and method for detecting a stuck vehicle
accelerator and remedially controlling a powertrain system of the
vehicle.
BACKGROUND
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of
generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the
presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this
background section, as well as aspects of the description that may
not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are
neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the
present disclosure.
Internal combustion engines combust an air/fuel (A/F) mixture
within cylinders to drive pistons that rotatably turn a crankshaft
generating drive torque. The drive torque may be transferred to a
driveline (e.g., wheels) of a vehicle via a transmission. Air may
be drawn into an intake manifold of the engine through an inlet
that may be regulated by a throttle. The throttle may be controlled
either mechanically or electronically based on input from a driver
of the vehicle. The driver input may include acceleration based on
a position of an accelerator (e.g., a pedal).
SUMMARY
A control system for a vehicle includes an error detection module
and a remedial control module. The error detection module detects
whether an accelerator of the vehicle is stuck is based on vehicle
speed, a position of the accelerator, and one of a pressure applied
to a brake of the vehicle and a status of a parking brake of the
vehicle. The remedial control module, when the accelerator is
stuck, at least one of resets the position of the accelerator and
decreases torque output of a powertrain system.
A method for controlling a vehicle includes detecting whether an
accelerator of the vehicle is stuck is based on vehicle speed, a
position of the accelerator, and one of a pressure applied to a
brake of the vehicle and a status of a parking brake of the
vehicle, and when the accelerator is stuck, at least one of
resetting the position of the accelerator and decreasing torque
output of a powertrain system.
In still other features, the systems and methods described above
are implemented by a computer program executed by one or more
processors. The computer program can reside on a tangible computer
readable medium such as but not limited to memory, nonvolatile data
storage, and/or other suitable tangible storage mediums.
Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will
become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter.
It should be understood that the detailed description and specific
examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not
intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the
detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary powertrain
system according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control module according
to the present disclosure; and
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for detecting a
stuck accelerator and remedially controlling a powertrain according
to the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in
no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses.
For purposes of clarity, the same reference numbers will be used in
the drawings to identify similar elements. As used herein, the
phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a
logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical or. It should
be understood that steps within a method may be executed in
different order without altering the principles of the present
disclosure.
As used herein, the term module refers to an Application Specific
Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor
(shared, dedicated, or group) and memory that execute one or more
software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit,
and/or other suitable components that provide the described
functionality.
During vehicle operation an accelerator (e.g., a pedal) may become
physically and unintentionally displaced. In other words, the
accelerator may become "stuck." For example, the accelerator may
become stuck due to improperly placed and/or improperly designed
floor mats or due to other loose objects obstructing the
accelerator. The stuck accelerator may increase torque output of a
powertrain and thus increase a speed of the vehicle above a desired
speed. Moreover, when the accelerator becomes stuck a driver of the
vehicle may then be unable to decrease the speed of the vehicle.
More specifically, brakes may be insufficient to decrease the speed
of the vehicle. In other words, the brakes may be unable to
overpower the torque output of the powertrain to allow the driver
to decrease the speed of the vehicle.
Accordingly, a system and method are presented that detect when the
accelerator is stuck and then remedially control the powertrain to
allow the driver to decrease the speed of the vehicle. More
specifically, the system and method may detect whether the
accelerator is stuck based on vehicle speed, accelerator position,
brake pressure, and corresponding thresholds. For example, the
brake pressure (and duration) may be used to prevent false
detections (e.g., drivers that simultaneously command the
accelerator and the brake, also known as "two-footed drivers").
Additionally or alternatively, the system and method may detect
whether the accelerator is stuck based on vehicle speed,
accelerator position, a status of a parking brake, and
corresponding thresholds. The system and method, however, may also
determine that the accelerator is stuck based on other combinations
of inputs (e.g., input from the driver requesting override
operation).
When the accelerator is stuck, the system and method may command a
reset of the accelerator position (i.e., set the position to zero).
When the accelerator position reset occurs, the current position of
the accelerator pedal becomes the learned idle position and further
displacement of the accelerator pedal results in incremental torque
requests from the idle torque request. If the accelerator position
reset occurs when the accelerator is fully displaced, however, no
additional torque may be requested via the accelerator.
Additionally, as the accelerator pedal releases back towards its
normal idle position, the learned idle position of the accelerator
pedal may update to the current physical accelerator pedal
position.
Resetting the accelerator position, therefore, may effectively
override the stuck accelerator pedal and allow the driver to brake
and stop the vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, when the
accelerator is stuck and the driver requests override control
(e.g., via a push-button ignition, a rotatable key-in ignition, or
a separate emergency switch), the system and method may command
idle operation of the powertrain. The idle operation of the
powertrain may allow the driver to brake and stop the vehicle and
may also provide a smoother transition to stop the vehicle as
compared to a traditional emergency stop that immediately turns off
the powertrain system. For example, commanding idle operation
instead of turning off the powertrain system allows the driver to
continue using hydraulic components such as hydraulic brakes (i.e.,
power brakes) and hydraulic steering (i.e., power steering).
Referring now to FIG. 1, a powertrain system 10 that powers a
vehicle (not shown) includes an engine 12. While an internal
combustion engine system is shown, the powertrain system may
include an electric motor system or a hybrid system. For example,
the powertrain system 10 may include at least one of a battery
system, an electric motor, a generator, and an internal combustion
engine. Additionally, while a spark ignition direct injection
(SIDI) engine is shown, the engine 12 may include a compression
ignition (CI) engine (e.g., a diesel engine) or a homogeneous
charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine. Furthermore, the engine
12 may also include port fuel injection.
The engine 12 draws air into an intake manifold 14 through an inlet
16 that may be regulated by a throttle 18. For example, the
throttle 18 may be electronically controlled (e.g., electronic
throttle control, or ETC). Air in the intake manifold 14 is
distributed to a plurality of cylinders 20. While six cylinders are
shown, the engine 12 may include other numbers of cylinders. The
air in the cylinders 20 may be combined with fuel from fuel
injectors 22 to create an A/F mixture. The A/F mixture may be
compressed by pistons (not shown) and ignited to rotatably turn a
crankshaft 26 generating drive torque. For example, the A/F mixture
may be ignited by spark from spark plugs 24. However, as previously
described, other methods of fuel injection and/or combustion may be
used depending on the type of powertrain.
An engine speed sensor 28 measures a rotational speed of the
crankshaft 26 (e.g., in revolutions per minute, or RPM). The drive
torque may be transferred from the crankshaft 26 to a driveline 30
(e.g., wheels) of the vehicle via a transmission 32. For example,
the transmission 32 may be coupled to the crankshaft 26 via a
torque converter (e.g., a fluid coupling) (not shown). A
transmission output shaft speed (TOSS) sensor 34 may measure a
rotational speed of an output shaft (not shown) of the transmission
32. For example, the measurement of the TOSS sensor 34 may indicate
the speed of the vehicle. However, the vehicle speed may be
measured or modeled using other suitable methods. Exhaust gas
resulting from combustion may be expelled from the cylinders 20
into an exhaust manifold 36. The exhaust gas may then be treated by
an exhaust treatment system 38 that decreases emissions before
being released into the atmosphere.
A control module 40 controls operation of the powertrain system 10.
Specifically, the control module 40 may control the throttle 18,
the fuel injectors 22, the spark plugs 24, the transmission 32,
and/or the exhaust treatment system 38. The control module 40 may
also receive signals from the engine speed sensor 28 and the TOSS
sensor 34. The control module 40 may also implement the system
and/or method of the present disclosure. Specifically, the control
module 40 may also receive input from a driver of the vehicle. For
example, the control module 40 may receive input from the driver of
the vehicle via one of a plurality of devices (collectively
referred to as a "driver input module 42").
The driver input module 42 may include an accelerator 44, a brake
46, a parking brake 48, an ignition control module 49, and/or a
shift control module 50. Specifically, the driver input may be
based on a position of the accelerator 44 (e.g., a pedal) and a
pressure applied to a brake 46 (e.g., a pedal). For example, a
position sensor 45 may measure a position of the accelerator 44 and
a pressure sensor 47 may measure a pressure applied to the brake
46. Furthermore, the driver input module 42 may include a parking
brake 48 and an ignition control module 49.
For example, the status of the parking brake 48 (e.g., a handle or
a pedal) may include either a first state (e.g., "ON," or engaged)
or a second state (e.g., "OFF," or disengaged). Additionally, for
example, the ignition control module 49 may include a push-button
ignition or a rotatable key-in ignition. Moreover, both the
push-button ignition and the rotatable key-in ignition may
transition from first states to second states by a push or a turn
from the driver, respectively.
Additionally or alternatively, the ignition control module 49 may
include an emergency switch that may be actuated and deactivated by
the driver by switching the emergency switch from a first state to
a second state and vice-versa. The shift control module 50 may
include a shift lever that may control various modes of the
transmission 32. For example, the shift control module 50 may
include a park/reverse/neutral/drive/low (PRNDL) shifter that
allows the driver to select one of a park mode, a reverse mode, a
neutral mode, a drive mode, and a low speed/load mode,
respectively. Additionally, for example, the shift control module
50 may include an alternative manual shift selection mode (e.g.,
manumatic) that allows the driver to tap-up (e.g., upshift) or
tap-down (e.g., downshift) to control shifting of the transmission
32.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the control module 40 is shown in more
detail. The control module 40 may include an error detection module
60 and a remedial control module 70. The error detection module 60
receives signals from the TOSS sensor 34, the position sensor 45,
and the pressure sensor 47. For example, the received signals may
indicate vehicle speed, the position of the accelerator 44, and the
pressure applied to the brake 46, respectively. The error detection
module 60 may also receive a signal indicating the state of the
parking brake 48.
The error detection module 60 determines whether the accelerator 44
is stuck based on the received signals. More specifically, the
error detection module 60 may determine that the accelerator 44 is
stuck when the vehicle speed is greater than a vehicle speed
threshold (VS.sub.TH), the position of the accelerator 44 is
greater than an accelerator position threshold (AP.sub.TH), and the
pressure applied to the brake 46 is greater than a brake pressure
threshold (BP.sub.TH) for a predetermined period. Alternatively,
the error detection module 60 may determine that the accelerator 44
is stuck when the vehicle speed is greater than the speed threshold
VS.sub.TH, the position of the accelerator is greater than the
position threshold AP.sub.TH, and the state of the parking brake 48
is the first state (e.g., ON, or engaged). The error detection
module 60, however, may also determine that the accelerator 44 is
stuck based on other combinations of the inputs. For example, when
a driver of the vehicle indicates an emergency (e.g., via the
ignition control module 49), the error detection module 60 may
determine that the accelerator 44 is stuck. Otherwise, the error
detection module 60 may determine that the accelerator 44 is not
stuck.
The remedial control module 70 communicates with the error
detection module 60 to determine whether the accelerator 44 is
stuck. For example, the remedial control module 70 may receive a
status signal from the error detection module 60 indicating whether
the accelerator 44 is stuck. For example, the status signal may
include either a first state ("YES") or a second state ("NO"). The
remedial control module 70 may also receive an emergency signal
from the ignition control module 49 indicating that the driver of
the vehicle is requesting override control of the powertrain system
10.
Specifically, the driver of the vehicle may request override
control of the powertrain system 10 when the accelerator 44 is
stuck. For example, the driver may request override control by one
press of a push-button ignition or one clockwise turn of a
rotatable key-in ignition. Additionally or alternatively, for
example, the driver may request override control by actuating the
separate emergency switch (e.g., an ON/OFF button). Additionally or
alternatively, for example, the driver may request override control
by changing a selection of the shift control module 50 (e.g.,
change of PRNDL or a tap-up/tap-down in the manumatic mode).
The remedial control module 70 may reset the accelerator position
(i.e., set the accelerator position to zero) when the accelerator
44 is stuck. When the accelerator position reset occurs, the
current position of the accelerator 44 becomes the learned idle
position and further displacement of the accelerator 44 results in
incremental torque requests from the idle torque request. If the
accelerator position reset occurs when the accelerator 44 is fully
displaced, however, no additional torque may be requested via the
accelerator 44. Additionally, as the accelerator 44 releases back
towards its normal idle position, the learned idle position of the
accelerator 44 may update to the current physical accelerator
position.
When the accelerator 44 is stuck and the emergency signal is not
received, however, the remedial control module 70 may decrease the
torque output of the powertrain system 10. More specifically, the
remedial control module 70 may decrease the torque output of the
powertrain system 10 to a torque output as low as idle operation.
For example, the remedial control module 70 may merely decrease the
torque output of the powertrain system 10 when the driver is
lightly applying the brake (e.g., brake pressure< threshold).
The remedial control module 70, however, may decrease the torque
output of the powertrain system 10 to idle operation (i.e., command
idle operation) when the driver is heavily applying the brake
(e.g., brake pressure> threshold).
For example, idle operation of the powertrain system 10 may include
commanding the throttle 18 to a predetermined position, commanding
the fuel injectors 22 to inject a predetermined amount of fuel, and
commanding the fuel injectors 22 and the spark plugs according to
predetermined timings. In other words, idle operation of the
powertrain system 10 may include controlling the A/F ratio of the
engine and combustion timing to maintain a relatively low engine
speed and engine output torque.
Referring now to FIG. 3, a method for detecting whether the
accelerator 44 is stuck and then controlling the powertrain system
10 begins at 100. At 100, the control module 40 may determine
whether the powertrain system 10 is active. If true, control may
proceed to 104. If false, control may return to 100.
At 104, the control module 40 may determine whether the accelerator
44 is stuck. If true, control may proceed to 108. If false, control
may return to 100. At 108, the control module 40 may determine
whether the driver has requested override control. If false,
control may proceed to 112. If true, control may proceed to
116.
At 112, the control module 40 may decrease torque output of the
powertrain system to a torque output as low as idle operation. For
example, the decreased torque output may be based on a brake
pressure applied by the driver (e.g., heavy brake pressure may
result in idle operation). Control may then return to 100. At 116,
the control module 40 may reset the accelerator position (e.g., set
the accelerator position to zero). Control may then return to
100.
The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a
variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes
particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be
so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the
skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, the
specification, and the following claims.
* * * * *